Norma's Weekly Member Snapshot:
Walk this Way 
 
Kelsey Montague's Angel Wings: Part of Watson Adventures' Graffiti Tour
 
New Yorkers can quickly rack up miles walking to and from our destinations, especially when the weather is nice.  Often enough though, we don't slow down to see what's really going on around us.

Why not walk for fun?  Check out my Special Feature for some of the coolest walking tours across town.  Put away the heels and strap on a comfy pair of shoes to discover a new side of the city.
 
 
 
 
   Norma Knows New York City   
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GeneralGENERAL EVENTS
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
The blossoms are in bloom! Visit on a Wednesday and take a tour. Or on Saturdays and Sundays, take a tour of the seasonal highlights of the garden.                  
 
Saturdays 
Hester Street Fair 
Corner of Hester & Essex Streets
One of the best street fairs opens for the season!  A collection of NYC's best vendors, from the finest foods to vintage clothing to jewelry and home goods. Open Saturdays through October. 
 
Saturdays & Sundays 
Smorgasburg
Brooklyn
Saturdays at East River State Park, Sundays in Prospect Park 
Artisanal outdoor market featuring over 100 food vendors. 
  
The High Line (West 13th & Washington Streets)
Every Tuesday until October you can peek into high powered telescopes on the High Line and chat with the experts.
   
May 14 & 15   
37th Annual: Spring Crafts on Columbus 
Columbus Avenue from 77th to 81st Street
Annual craft show.

Through October 31 
Metropolitan Museum of Art (1000 Fifth Avenue)
The perfect time to visit the Met's Roof Garden; beautiful view and delicious drinks and now Cornelia Parke's PsychoBarn
   
ON THE RADAR:

May 21  The Hudson River Park Games
Various locations along Hudson River Park  
Pulse-raising athletic challenges for competitors and spectators along the river.

May 25 through 31  Fleet Week
 
Various locations 
A staple in NYC... check the website for events. 
Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic 

May 28  Governors Island Opens
So many great events occur during the summertime at Governors Island!

June 4  Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic 
Liberty State Park (Jersey City, NJ)
In its 9th year, tickets are on sale now.  Polo match, champagne bars, food trucks... polo and champagne, how much more civilized can you get?

June 4 & 5  Rose Garden Weekend
New York Botanical Garden
Two days of live music, plant care demonstrations, tours with rose experts, and refreshments.

June 4 & 5  American Crafts Festival
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
380 craft displays selected from every region of the United States. Continuous entertainment and craft demonstrations. Also June 11th & 12th.


June 6 through 10  Daybreaker Week
Various Locations
A week-long festival of morning experiences with DJs and music to support social and environmental causes.
 
CutluralCULTURAL PURSUITS
Looking for a new way to see a museum?  Check out Museum Hack, guided tours (up to 9 people) of the MET and the American Museum of Natural History. Led by experienced guides well-versed in art history, it's a way to see the works through a new lens. 
                         
CLOSING SOON:

Vigee Le Brun: Woman Artist in Revolutionary France 
JACOB JAVITS CENTER (655 West 34th Street)
May 14 through 17 
International Contemporary Furniture Fair
A showcase for 500 exhibitors that opens to the public on the last day. 
  
THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART (1000 Fifth Avenue)
Through May 15
Vigée Le Brun: Woman Artist in Revolutionary France
This is the first retrospective of Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, one of the most important of all women artists. 
 


MORGAN LIBRARY & MUSEUM (225 Madison Avenue)
Through May 15
A visual exploration of Warhol's lifelong career as a book artist

MUSEUM OF MODERN ART (11 West 53rd Street) 
Marcel Broodthaers: A Retrospective
Through May 15
Another exhibit about the poet turned artist.
      

PREMIERE EXHIBITIONS 5th AVENUE
(417 Fifth Avenue)
Through May 15 
Explore the treasures of Tutankhamun dynasty

TRIBECA
May 13 through 16
T.O.A.S.T. Art Walk
Experience a behind-the-scenes look at artists' workshops. Support local artists during this event as they open their doors to the public to promote the working artists of Tribeca.

VARIOUS LOCATIONS

Through May 16
NYCxDESIGN 
A citywide celebration of design to increase awareness of and appreciation for all types of design by all audiences.  From architecture and landscape to fashion and furniture... everything you can think of all around the city.  
 
ONGOING EXHIBITS: 
  
AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY (Central Park West at 79th Street)
The Secret World Inside You 
 
Through August 14
The exhibit takes visitors on a tour of the human body.  
Ongoing
View the cast of a 122-foot-long dinosaur. This species is so new that it has not yet been formally named by the paleontologists who discovered it!

CENTER FOR ITALIAN MODERN ART (421 Broome Street)
Giorgio Morandi
Through June 25
Dedicated to one of the best known Italian artists of the 20th century, the exhibit focuses on his rarely seen 1930s works.
      
Pixar: The Design of Story 

COOPER HEWITT
  (2 East 91st Street)
Through August 7
Pixar fans will enjoy this exhibit, tracing the creation of the rarely seen sketches, paintings, and sculptures of Pixar's characters. 





DISCOVERY TIMES SQUARE (226 West 44th Street)
Through May 30
With all of the craze about Star Wars, it's the perfect time to see the exhibit of memorable costumes from this iconic film series.   
 
ELLIS ISLAND
Ongoing
Life-size historic photographs of Ellis Island immigrants are displayed on the south side of Ellis Island. 

Ongoing
Tells the story of immigration to America before the processing station opened. 
 
HARLEM'S HISTORIC CORN EXCHANGE BUILDING (125th Street & Park Avenue)
Through May 31
FLUX Art Fair
Art fair brings together works from over 50 artists representing over a dozen countries.
 

INTREPID SEA, AIR & SPACE MUSEUM   (Pier 86 - West 46th Street & 12th Avenue)   
On the Line: Intrepid and the Vietnam War

Now open
A major exhibition exploring the events and impact of the Vietnam War through the lens of the Intrepid.  
 
Isaac Mizrahi: An Unruly History
Through August 7
The first museum survey devoted to the American designer who makes clothing, hosted a television show, and performed his own cabaret act.
    
 
THE MET BREUER (Madison Avenue & 75th Street)
Unfinished: Thoughts Left Visible
Through September 4 
197 works from the Renaissance to the present. The exhibition examines a subject critical to artistic practice: the question of when a work of art is finished.   

Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology 
METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
(1000 Fifth Avenue)
Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology
Through August 14
The exhibit explores the differences between fashion made by hand vs. by machines in the modern age.




MUSEUM OF MODERN ART (11 West 53rd Street)
Edgar Degas: A Strange New Beauty
Through July 24
The exhibition includes approximately 120 rarely seen monotypes, 60 related paintings, drawings, pastels, sketchbooks, and prints-that show Degas at his most modern.
   
NEUE GALERIE NEW YORK MUSEUM FOR GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN ART (1048 Fifth Avenue)
Munch and Expressionism
Through June 13
 
Exhibit focuses on Edward Munch's influence on his German colleagues. 

The Art and Whimsy of Mo Willems
Through September 25
Brings together original art, sketches, and inspirational drawings from Willem's most popular series (Sesame Street) and stand-alone classics. 

NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY  (42nd Street & 5th Avenue)
Shakespeare's Star Turn in America
Through May 27
The exhibition will document the on-going popularity of Shakespeare's plays in North America from Colonial times to present day. The artifacts include programs, engravings, photographs, set and costume designs, costumes, letters, and prompt scripts.
FLOW.16

RANDALL'S ISLAND PARK   
FLOW.16
Through November
Annual summer art exhibitions, aimed at fostering appreciation of the shoreline through artistic expression. 

ROOSEVELT HOUSE (47-49 East 65th Street) 
Through May 27 
The newly remodeled historic Roosevelt House recently opened showcasing the first special exhibit featuring relics from women of the suffragette movement... from Elizabeth Cady Stanton to Eleanor Roosevelt, Suffrage to Human Rights.
   
SOCIETY OF ILLUSTRATORS (128 East 63rd Street) 
Tuesdays & Thursdays
For those that have a talent for sketching, stop by Tuesday or Thursday evenings for sketch night and see the latest exhibit.    

WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART (99 Gansevoort Street) 
Human Interest: Portraits from the Whitney's Collection
Through February 12 
Offers new perspectives on one of art's oldest genres. Drawn entirely from the Museum's holdings, 100+ works reveal how artists have reinvented portraiture during the last sixty years.  

ON THE RADAR: 

THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY (155 First Avenue)
Lower East Side Festival
May 27 through 29
The Theme of this year's festival is: ART KNOWS NO WALLS OR BARRIERS. The festival is an art party celebrating the Lower East Side's diversity in the Arts.

Washington Square Outdoor Exhibit 

WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK

Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit
May 28 through 30
Local artists showcase their works in this twice annual exhibit. Also June 4th & 5th.





MORGAN LIBRARY & MUSEUM
(225 Madison Avenue)
June 3 through September 18
Completed when he was just twenty-three years old, this piece has long been recognized as the artist's first mature work, his first masterpiece.   
 
FIFTH AVENUE
Museum Mile Festival
June 14
New York's biggest block party.  All museums from 82nd to 105th are free and open to the public... with no cars in sight!
 
CurtainCURTAIN UP
FILM:
           
Crosby Street Hotel (79 Crosby Street)
For $55 per person, enjoy dinner and a movie. A 3-course meal is followed by a viewing of this Quentin Tarantino film starring Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Kurt Russell.

May 15  TalkCinema

Through May 17  Columbia University Film Festival 2016
Film Society of Lincoln Center - Walter Reade Theater (165 West 65th Street)
Annual Columbia University Film Festival (CUFF), a week long program of screenings, screenplay readings, and special events in New York.   

MUSIC & DANCE:


Tuesdays & Wednesdays Jazz Nights
The Lambs Club (132 West 44th Street)
Live jazz from new and up and coming performers.    
  
 
New York Philharmonic

Spring Season  
New York Philharmonic   
Avery Fisher Hall (10 Lincoln Center Plaza)   
Visit the schedule for upcoming concerts through the remainder of the season.   



 
Through May 14  Megan Hilty 
Cafe Carlyle (35 East 76th Street)
One of my favorite performers... and don't miss Woody Allen & The Eddy David New Orleans Jazz Band Mondays through June 14th.

May 16  Summerstage
Central Park
Opens for the summer season... free concerts all summer.  Check the schedule for upcoming performances.

May 17 through 22  Mark Morris Dance Group
Mark Morris Dance Center (3 Lafayette Avenue - Brooklyn)
A special week of performances by one of my favorite dance companies. Performances include Cargo, Foursome, A Forest (World Premiere), and The (NY Premiere).  
New York City Ballet 
 
Through May 29  New York City Ballet Spring Season   
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
(20 Lincoln Center Plaza)

Visit the website for the full schedule.   
  
Through May  La Boheme  
The Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center Plaza)
Puccini's immortal tale of tragic young love set amidst the rooftops of bohemian Paris. 

Through June 16  LIVE from the NYPL
New York Public Library (11 West 40th Street) 
Annual Spring Speaker Series... check out the calendar.  

THEATER:

American Psycho
Through September 25
Schoenfeld Theatre
(236 West 45th Street)
American Psycho returns to Broadway as a musical... a carnal carnival of song and dance.

 
An American in Paris
Through January 1, 2017
Palace Theater (1564 Broadway) 
American Stage debut of the story about a young artist who discovers life and love after returning from the war.    




Through January 8, 2017
Stephen Sondheim Theatre (124 West 43rd Street)
This musical follows the legendary songwriter from her early days as a Brooklyn teenager to well-known hits as a top recording artist.
  
Blackbird 
Through June 11
Belasco Theatre (111 West 44th Street)
The star-studded cast includes Michele Williams and Jeff Daniels; they will perform one of the most powerful dramas of the century.  An uncomfortable relationship reunites between an older man and a younger woman.    

Bright Star

Through October 9

Cort Theatre (138 West 48th Street)
I have followed Steve Martin's career as an actor and banjo player for many years. I'm delighted that he has expanded his talents as the songwriter of this musical (with Edie Brickell's talents at work also).  As he said in an interview, he wanted to create music that would be an anthem to optimism, writing songs that would bring joy to the audience.
 
Cagney
Through September 25
Westside Theatre
(407 West 43rd Street)
How exciting - this musical follows the life of James Cagney from the streets of New York to vaudeville, then to a Hollywood tough guy.  
 
The Color Purple
The Color Purple
Through October 2
Bernard B Jacobs Theatre
(242 West 45th Street)
Broadway revival starring Jennifer Hudson.  
  
The Crucible
Through July 17
Walter Kerr Theatre
(219 West 48th Street)
Arthur Miller's famed production of the timeless parable of morality returns to Broadway... starring Academy Award Nominee Saoirse Ronan
(Brooklyn).    
   
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time 
Through September 4
Barrymore Theatre (243 West 47th Street) 
A Tony Award Winning play! The lead actor is brilliant; the set design is mesmerizing. The story unfolds with a mathematically precocious adolescent with behavioral problems uncovering truths and secrets.

Daddy Long Legs
Through January 8, 2017
Davenport Theatre (354 West 45th Street) 
An upbeat musical that tells the tale of an orphan and her anonymous benefactor.    

Eclipsed
Through June 19
John Golden Theatre
(252 West 45th Street)
After a limited run at The Public Theater, this show starring Academy Award Winner
Lupita Nyong'o, hits Broadway!   

The Father
The Father
Through June 12
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (
261 West 47th Street)
The infamous Frank Langella stars in Florian Zeller's new play. I've been mesmerized by him since his role as Dracula.
 

Fid
dler on the Roof
Through December 31
Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway) 
The acclaimed show returns to Broadway, a favorite of mine.
 
  
Through August 21
Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (205 West 46th Street)
The amazing story of how Peter became Pan.
     

Through October 9
Circle in the Square Theatre (235 West 50th Street)
Performance brings the actors and audience within close proximity. Tony Award Winning play about seeing your parents through adult eyes.              
  
Hamilton
Through January 29, 2017
Richard Rodgers Theatre
(226 West 46th Street)
An inventive musical about a young immigrant who changed America... Alexander Hamilton.  Tickets are in high demand!            
Through September 4
Lincoln Center Theater (150 West 65th Street)
The revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's play, starring Daniel Dae Kim of the TV shows Lost and Hawaii Five-0.

Long Day's Journey into Night
Through June 26
American Airlines Theatre (227 West 42nd Street)
The tale of an ordinary summer's day with extraordinary consequences... stars the incredible Jessica Lange, who wows in American Horror Story. Plus Gabriel Byrne and Michael Shannon! 

Mike Birbiglia: "Thank God for Jokes"
Through May 29
Lynn Redgrave Theater (49 Bleecker Street)
Comedian, writer, and actor, Mike Birbiglia stars in a one-man-show of modern day joke telling

Through January 1, 2017
Marquis Theatre (1535 Broadway)
High-energy performance about Emilio and Gloria Estefan.          

 
Paramour

Paramour
Through February 19, 2017
Lyric Theatre (213 West 42nd Street)
Set in the world of Golden Age Hollywood, Cirque du Soleil makes its Broadway debut! Now in previews, opens May 25th through February 19th.





Ruthless
Through September 10
St. Luke's Theatre (308 West 46th Street)
Called "the mother of all musicals," I've seen it and can attest... it's a hilarious show starring 10-year old Tori Murray.                      

School of Rock
Through February 5, 2017
I'm a fan of Andrew Lloyd Weber and I'm sure there will no exception to the quality of his newest musical based on the film starring Jack Black.

Shuffle Along
A Streetcar Named Desire 

Through October 9
Music Box Theatre (239 West 45th Street)
Six-time award winner Audra McDonald returns to Broadway.  Note: Audra McDonald will not appear in performances from June 19th through September 12th.

A Streetcar Named Desire

Through June 4
St. Ann's Warehouse (Brooklyn Bridge Park)
The iconic production stars X-Files' own Gillian Anderson!
 
Tuck Everlasting The Musical
Through January 1
Broadhurst Theatre (235 West 44th Street)
If you could live forever, would you? Take a journey you'll never forget in this new musical about love, family, and living life to the fullest!       
   
Waitress
Through January 1, 2017
Brooks Atkinson Theatre (256 West 47th Street)
Based on the 2007 film, Tony Award Winner Jessie Mueller stars in this new musical with music by Sara Bareilles.

 
The Woodsman
Through May 29
New World Stages (340 West 50th Street)
It's the origin story of the Wizard of Oz's Tin Man! 
 
ON THE RADAR:  
 
May 22  Positively Bob Dylan: 75th Birthday Tribute
City Winery (155 Varick Street)
Special Guests John Gorka, Lucy Kaplansky, The Kennedys, Toshi Reagon, Willie Nile & More.
 



 
May 23  
New York Philharmonic Biennial 
Lincoln Center
Visit the website for upcoming performances.  From Oscar Wilde in opera to Shared Madness in Williamsburg, from electroacoustic music to a marimba concerto... new music and the city. Through June 11th.

May 24 
Shakespeare in the Park: The Taming of the Shrew
The Delacorte Theater (81 Central Park)
It's worth standing in line for the free performances of Shakespeare's classic tale in a magical setting. Through June 26th. 
 
May 28  An Act of God
Booth Theatre  (222 West 45th Street)
Last year's show starring Jim Parsons was a big hit and this year will be even better when it stars Sean Hayes! Hayes (as God himself) reveals the mysteries of the Bible and answers the deepest questions that have plagued mankind since the beginning of time.  Previews start May 28th, opens June 6th through September 4th.
 
May 29   Sondheim Unplugged
54 Below (254 West 54th Street)
Annual event features some of Broadway and cabaret's most dynamic voices, accompanied by piano only, honoring the work of Broadway's master composer.
 
June 1 through 30   Blue Note Jazz Festival 
Various Locations
Festival showcases over 150 premier artists at more than 15 venues throughout the city. Visit their website to find your favorite artist. Some highlights include Al Jarreau and the Music of Edith Piaf.

June 2 through 8  Open Roads: New Italian Cinema
The Film Society of Lincoln Center
The most diverse and extensive lineup of contemporary Italian film.

June 3  Stars in the Alley
Shubert Alley, west of Seventh Avenue between 44th & 45th Streets
Experience the magic of Broadway!  An annual 90-minute concert featuring the best snapshot of Broadway theater from this season and from ongoing shows.


June 3 through 5  
The Governors Ball Music Festival

Randall's Island Park
Tickets are selling out for this annual 3-day festival, so book yours now. Performers include Beck, Kanye West, and The Killers.  Food vendors include by CHLOE, Momofuku Milk Bar, and Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream.


June 7  Washington Square Music Festival
Washington Square Park
Live music in the park from Classical to Jazz.  Also June 14th, 21st, and 28th. 


June 8 through 21  Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
David H. Koch Theatre (20 Lincoln Center Plaza)
The weeks of performance kick off with The Ailey Spirit Gala
benefit, a one-night-only performance featuring Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, The Ailey School, and AileyCamp. Check the schedule for performances. 
  
   
FoodFOR THE FOODIE
EVENTS  
    
May 13  Spring Taste
Metropolitan Pavilion (125 West 18th Street)
Sample foods from 60 restaurants and drinks from breweries, wineries, and distilleries... plus live entertainment and cooking demos.

May 13 
American Airlines International Pairing Series
City Winery (155 Varick Street)
Part of an annual series of dinners showcasing the wine and food of a specific region. This event focuses on Portugal.

May 14
  Texas Chili Cookoff
Hudson River Park (Pier 84 - West 44th & 12th Avenue)
Unlimited chili from 20 vendors!    

May 14 & 15   Ninth Avenue International Food Festival
Ninth Avenue from 42nd to 57th Streets
Taste foods from around the world, shop for fine arts and crafts, and enjoy live entertainment.
 
Through May 27  Madison Square Eats
Madison Square Park
Annual event featuring some of NYC's most popular restaurants and food vendors
.    



ON THE RADAR: 

May 21 
Taste of Tribeca 
Greenwich & Duane Streets
Outdoor culinary festival orchestrated by tops chefs of Tribeca. Proceeds will benefit the arts education program of the local public primary schools. 

June 3 & 4  Taste of the Upper West Side - Summer in the City: Surf & Turf
Columbus Ave between West 76th and 77th Streets
Hosted by Anne Burrell (host of Food Network's Worst Cooks in America) and Alex Guarnaschelli (Chef/owner of Butter and judge on Food Network's Chopped). Ticket includes tastes from 45 restaurants, wine, beer, and cocktails. And check out Best of the West VIP Reception.

June 6  Taste of Times Square
Taste of Summer
46th Street from Broadway to 10th Avenue
Over 50 restaurants share their finest tastes from around the globe.

June 8   Taste of Summer
Bethesda Terrace - Central Park
Our city's renowned chefs will serve their finest cuisine, amidst the iconic setting of the Bethesda Terrace, with music from one the city's best DJs. Proceeds benefit the restoration and maintenance of Central Park.

FeatureSPECIAL FEATURE: WALK THIS WAY 
City Running Tours

American Roots Running Tour
City Running Tours
This group is for runners... lace up and take to the streets!  This particular tour explores the ethnic roots of New York and the United States; see how immigration influenced and made up the very foundation of the city. I took their Brooklyn Bridge tour and it was majestic and incredibly fun!

Adriana Trigiani Book Tours
Author and tour director, both in our city and abroad. Her book, Lucia Lucia, displays her true love for NYC... it is set in 1950s Big Apple. Or try her Cupcake Tour to eat your way through the city!

Immigrant New York 

Streetwise New York Tours  
An off-the-beaten path adventure tour focused on the history, life and foods of NYC's past and present immigrant communities.  Tours can be customized and are led by a spirited guide. This tour traces the immigrant experience through the historic landmarks of the Lower East Side to the diverse ethnic enclaves of Queens.



Street Art Scavenger Hunt
Watson Adventures
Guerrilla artists transform city streets constantly... an interactive hunt in Nolita and Little Italy discovering provocative, whimsical, and sculptural art by some of the world's most accomplished incognito artists (including the infamous Banksy). 

Big Onion Walking Tours 
Upper East Side: A Clash of Titans
Explore the luxurious Upper East Side learning about the people, institutions, and scandals that have made it what it is today. During your tour with one of the most well-known tour guide companies in the nation, you will uncover the layers of history NYC has experienced and hear more about the elites including the Vanderbilts, Whitneys, and the Astors who left a lasting cultural impression on the city.